My Favorite Planning Tools

Welcome all-star teachers! I would still like you to take five minutes and reflect. This can have a huge impact on your teaching. Here is our weekly reflection question: What are some tools that you use every class period that you find effective?

The problem a lot of educators encounter is really simple. Sometimes there are WAY too many resources out there for us. They can range from dozens of subscription sites, flashcards, printables and so much more. A lot of us want to minimize our tools and maximize how we are using those tools. 

At the beginning of every school year, I am always overly excited about the new fancy tools that I will have access to for the upcoming school year. I always promise that I am going to use all of them and always come back to my tried and true favorites. On the flip side, I always feel anxious about using as many tools for classroom engagement and planning. That is why I am making a personal commitment to try out learning tools this summer and implement those that will truly benefit me this upcoming school year. 

So let’s jump into some of my favorite planning and engagement tools. The first is my paper planner. I have tried to use a digital planner and it just was not the same. In my paper planner, I keep grades, to-do lists, meetings, notes and so much more! On the days I don’t use it I feel completely lost. Next year I plan on customizing it even more to meet my needs. 

This year Nearpod was the go-to engagement tool. It took me a while to fully embrace Nearpod, but towards the end of the year it was my go-to for classroom engagement. I didn’t realize how many tools there are in Nearpod. I was able to add on the spot assessments, virtual field trips, collaboration tools, and so much more. 

Hyperdocs have been unbelievably useful for me this school year. I will link to the Cult of Pedagogy podcast about Hyperdocs so you can learn more. There was a lot of work on the front end in regards to creating the Hyperdoc, but it was all worth it. It saved me so much time planning, and my students were engaged in the activities. 

This school year those were my go-to planning and engagement tools. I do want to add that I did incentives for my students this year called Dojo Dollars. I used the tool Class Dojo to award and set up points for the students. They could then cash in those “Dojo Dollars” for rewards.

For the upcoming school year I want to encourage all of you to get 3-4 planning tools you are excited about using. My advice would be sure to make sure these tools meet all your needs. You can always add in other engagement tools as the year progresses. I noticed by not having so many it helped keep me and the students on track. 

Take time this summer to relax. Once you start planning, think about what will be your tools for your planning and engagement with your students. Also download “The Ultimate ESL Teacher Guide” to give you a kick-start on your planning. 

Would you like to download a copy of this episode’s transcript? Simply click here for the download.